Gove s



, G. s. BOYLAN. TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR KINETOSCOPE$ APPLICATION FILED OCT- 10. I919. 1,'377; 112.

Patented May 3,1921.

Boylcww I UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcEf GOVE s. BOYLAN, or WASHINGTON, :oIs'rRIo'r or'coLu BIA.

TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR. KINETOS COPES Specification of Letters Patent. P t ted M 3 1921 Application filed October 10, 1919. Serial No. 329,818.

commencement of a winding operation, and

means to assure 'the'imposition of even tension at all times on the film, as well as the proper minimum tension to bring about the desirable snug winding of thefilm on thereel, so that initially the reel is driven through one connection, and then after some of the film is taken up on the reel, the reel is driven through another" connection, or through the last-named connection in asso ciation with the'first-named connection. c

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed. In the accompanying drawing, hereby made a part hereof: I The figure'is a diametrical' section illustrative of the best practical embodimentof my inventionthat I have] as yet devised.

Referring by numeral to the said drawlIl i is a film reel carried by the shaft 6. The reel may be removably secured on theshaft by any approved means without affecting my invention; the shaft 6 being shown'as provided with a key 6, to assure turning of the reel by the shaft. Fixed by a thread or other suitable means on the shaft 6 at the outer side of the flange 9 thereof, is a cylindrical body 8 of wood or other material appropriate to its purpose; At its outer end, the shaft 6 is threaded, as indicated by 6 for the engagement of a nut 6 and a jamnut 6 and at the inner side of the nut 6,

and surrounding the shaft 6, are a washer 10 and a coiled spring 11.

At 12 is the shell of a support, of circu lar form in cross-section, that is flanged at 13 for attachment to a kinetoscope frame.

Loosely surrounding the shaft 6 and opposed to the outer end of the shell 12, 1s a pulley 14 on which is a lateral tubular portion 15 that snuglyreceives the cylindrical body or element 8.

Contained in the f annular space between the bore wall of the shell 12 and the outer surface of the tubular member 15 is an antifr1ctionbearing20 which may be of the construction shown, or of any other construction appropriate to my invention.

Keyed at 21 on the shaft 6 or otherwise engaged with said shaftso as to turn therewith andmove laterally thereon, is a friction disk 22, subjectto the pressure of the spring 1 1 and opposed toone side of the pulley 14. In order to contribute to the efiiciency of this :part of my improvement, I

prefertointerpose a slip-disk 23, of paper or other suitable material, between the disk 22 and the pulley 14.

The pulley 1413 designed to be driven through a belt, not shown, from a motor,

also not shown, in theordinary well known manner. do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the said specific driving connection, inasmuch as any other idriving connection may be employed without affecting my invention, therefore it isto be understood that the term pulley,

as herein employed, is intended to. comprehend any kind of wheel or gear adapted to be rotated.

With my invention, thepower required to rotate the reel when full is not applied to the reel at the commencement of a winding operation when the reel is light in weight. On I the other hand, by reason of my improvement, the excess power at the commencement of a winding operation is not transmitted to the reel. This will be better understood when it is stated that at the commencement tween the pulley 1 1 and the'disk 22, there.

will be no tendencyof the reel to take up mech anism'releases the film, and as a. result there will be no strain on thefilm held in check by the usual sprocket engaging its ap- Then when the weight of the wheel 5 is increased by the addition of the takenup or wind thefilm faster than the ordinary ertures, and no liability of the walls of the apertures being subjected to undue wean film thereon, the friction between the driven 1 element 8 and the driving element 15 will be increased, with the result that the proper amount of power to rotate the reel as the same increases in weight, will be automatically suppliedin corresponding ratio, the

. walls of the apertures in the film will also be precluded, and the usefulness of the film will be materially prolonged. Manifestly the driven element 8 is movable vertically by gravitation or downward movement of the reel, or in other words, the two are movable vertically as a unit. v r

The foregoing will perhaps be better understood when it is stated that owing to the.

different speeds of the body 8 which are en countered, namely, the maximum at the start and minimum at the closeof the winding operation, and the amount of pressure exercised between the driving and driven surfaces at these opposite stages, it is necessary to make the diameter of body 8 so small in order that it shall not require and dissipate an unnecessary amount of power during the latter part of the operation that considerable trouble is encountered in get ting the body into motion as the machine is started; There is a fire risk which should not be overlooked in connection with the above mentioned difficulty. It is essential that the moment the mechanism begins to pay out film the reel and take-up apparatus should function immediately and satisfactorily. The highest speed is required at this stage and due to the inertia of the reel this speed is not obtained until sufficient film has been paid out to allow the reel now under way to develop a speed above normal which must be checked by the film itself, thereby causing a jerk upon it, which not only produces a visible damage to the walls of the apertures but is liable to break it,

t will be gathered from the foregoing that by virtue of my improvement and incidental to a winding operation, the reel 5 is first rotated through the pulley 14:, disk 22 and shaft (3, and afterward the reel is retated through the medium of the pulley l i, the driving element 15, the driven element 8 and the shaft 6. It will also be appreciated that frequently when once the reel is under motion, the power applied to the shaft 6 is in part through the friction between the disk 22 and the pulley 1e, and in part through the friction between the member 15 and the driven element 8. The tension of the spring 11 is preferably adjusted to a point where the power transmitted to shaft 6 is just sufi'icient to bring about the rotation of the reel 5 when the same is empty and therefore light in weight. A preferable mode of operation is to adjust the tension on starting, so that the reel will be put in motion as quickly as is desired, and no more. When the reel takes up film film. The power referred to varies as the weight increases on the reel 5 in such proportion as to maintain an even tension on the film throughout the varying of the reel. It will be apparent that any size reel may be handled in the manner referred to by varyinmthe sizes of the parts.

T laving described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters- Patent, is:

1. In a take-up mechanism for kinetoscopes, the combination of a support, a reel, a driven friction element connected with the reel to transmit rotary motion thereto,

a driving friction element surrounding the driven element and frictionally engaging the same and mounted in the support, whereby tendency of the reel to move downwardly increases the friction between the driving and driven element, and a supplemental driven friction element connected with the reel and arranged for cooperation with the first-named driven friction element.

2.1n a take-up mechanism for kinetoscopes, the combination of a reel, means through which the'reel is initially rotated when the reel is empty and light, and other means through which in association with the first-named means the reel is rotated after the weight of the reel is increased by the taking up of film thereon.

3. In a take-up mechanism for kinetoscopes, the combination of a reel, means through which the reel is initially rotated when the reel is; empty and light, and other means through which in association with the first-named means the reel is rotated after the weight of the reel is increased by the taking up of film thereon; the said means being adapted to automatically accommodate the same to the increase of weight of the reel.

In a take-up mechanism for kinetoscopes, the combination of a reel, friction surrounding the shaft, a cylindrical body carried by the shaft and constituting a driven element snugly fitting in the tubular element, an anti-friction'bearing intermediate the support and the tubular driving element, means through which the tubular driving element is rotated, and a friction disk keyed on the shaft and frictionally held under yielding pressure against said means.

6. In a take-up mechanism for kinetoscopes, the combination of a support, a shaft to carry a reel, a tubular driving element surrounding the shaft, a cylindrical body carried by the shaft and constituting a' driven element snugly fitting in the tubular element, an anti-friction bearing intermediate the support and thetubular driving element, means through which the tubular driving element is rotated, a friction disk keyed on the shaft and yieldingly pressed toward said means, and a disk loosely interposed between said means and the disk keyed to theshaft.

7. In a take-up mechanism for moving picture machines, a take-up shaft, and means thereon,whereby initial power and following. power are applied to the shaft; the initial power to start the shaft, and the following power to rotate the shaft in the ratio that film is takenup on the same.

In testimony, whereof lvaflix my si nature.

I ,GOVE s BoYiAN. 

